Notitia Le Hourglass
by Eclair Dolce
Summary: "Love is like an hourglass. Eventually everything hits the bottom and all you have to do is wait until someone notices and comes along... To turn it around." KiseRyotaxOC. Drabble ficlet. Set in the Teiko Middle universe.
1. Grain I - Praise

A/N:

Please note that this fic is an Original Character story.

I actually write Shounen-ai fics but doing a Hetero fic is a nice change of pace.

So yeah! No shounen-ai is going to happen here! Just your normal love story type of fanfic.

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: The story, plot and Original Character are all mine. Other things belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-san.

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_**Grain I - Praise**_

Kise Ryota, the famous idol of Teiko Middle, has good looks and nice personality, he's a model and a natural athlete; he tried every sport-related clubs in the school and then quit them for no particular reason, everyone doesn't really know why he just quits them. He's currently in the Basketball Club and it looks like he's not planning on quitting yet. He's having an ultra fun time while playing the said sport unlike the other sports out there which he played with a bored face.

He was also the boy of Tomomi's dreams.

Dairoki Tomomi, she was the class representative of Kise's class. She's quite popular in her own way; the school nerd with the highest grades in Teiko Middle. Complete with the braids and glasses, creating the geek look. But her orange hair and the white highlight on the side of her bangs made her stick out like a sore thumb.

She was one of the many girls that Kise attracted but unlike the other girls, she was just a plain and normal girl who doesn't have the time to make herself pretty in order to get noticed by the blonde ikemen. She would rather read a book than put thick make-up on. She's also not that head over heels for him, she doesn't go "Kya! Kya!" unlike the other fangirls who watches him while he's in practice.

She was contented with just watching him from far away.

Giving him silent praises in her head.

…Even though she knows that all of these will just cause her heartbreaks.

Let's face it. A school idol and a school nerd as a couple?

No way.

But she still loves him.

"You're great today as well, Kise-kun.."

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

So what do you think, readers?

Be kind and review please! :)


	2. Grain II - Girl

A/N:

Oh, yay! I updated again!

Thank you to those who have reviewed! I'm glad you all thought that this fic is interesting! You all motivated me to update quickly!

Also thanks to the people who followed and favorited this story! I would love it if y'all drop a review and tell me what you think. :)

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: Everything goes to their respective owners.

* * *

_**Grain II - Girl**_

The sounds of squeaking basketball shoes as the players ran, the swishing of the net as one of them makes a shot and..

The screams of the avid fangirls as Kise dribbled the ball.

Those were the sounds that echoed in the whole gymnasium whereas the Basketball Club's practice took place. Most of the audience were girls; Kise's fans to be specific, which made the practice look like an idol concert.

Kise ran fast as he broke past the person who was blocking him, he positioned himself and dunked the ball to the hoop, earning points for his team and yes, also earning screams from his fangirls.

Just then, a sharp whistle ringed from their coach, signalling them that their practice was over.

"Everyone can go home now, have some well deserved rest!"

"Yes, coach!"

Each of the Teiko players panted as they slowed down their movements and made their way to the locker rooms. The group of girls, however, came rushing down from the bleachers and greeted Kise before he could even follow his teammates.

"Kise-kun, you're really awesome!"

"You did great today!"

"Yeah! Good work!"

The charming blonde guy gave them a smile, making them swoon and giggle over him,

"Thanks!"

As Kise was being surrounded by a bunch of girls, he noticed another girl with orange tresses coming down from the bleachers. He blinked, curiously looking at her retreating figure.

"That girl.."

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

Please review!

Fuel my passion to write! :)


	3. Grain III - Mystery

A/N:

Fast update is L-O-V-E.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

* * *

**_Grain III - Mystery_**

Tomomi left the gymnasium, completing her everyday ritual; watch the basketball club's after school practice. She sighed as she slung her bag to her shoulder, the screams of the girls really exhausted her. Every single day, those group of girls will come to the gym only to scream at how awesome their idol is. Why can't they just watch quietly?

Well, she knows that they can't really help it because their beloved idol is not just a model, he's also a part of the Generation of Miracles; the strongest group of basketball players in all of the schools in Japan. That itself is quite great of him and just made the girls fawn over him more.

Tomomi sighed for the umpteenth time, she wondered why she fell in love with this blonde boy, knowing that he loves sports.

…Because she really hated sports.

She was great at everything as long as it's academic related but she's pretty lame when it comes to sporty activities. She hated sports not only because of that but also because she can't see why people waste their energy on those things. With that thinking, she even opted not to take physical education since it's just an optional subject.

But something always tugs at the back of her mind when she sees Kise's expression when he plays basketball.

Maybe sports aren't really that bad at all.

She sighed yet again.

Love sure has its mysteries.

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

So yeah!

I appreciate reviews!

SRSLY.


	4. Grain IV - First Shoot

A/N:

_Lalala~_

I'll be replying to questions and suggestions of my reviewers in my author's notes. Hope you don't mind. :D

**damnheart.o3** asked if there's gonna be fluff.

..Of course, yes!  
The first few chapters will be kind of angsty, since this fic has angst as its category. But don't worry, there will be many fluffiness in the future chapters!

**princess thieves of heart** said that I should make my updates longer.

Well, this story is actually.. How do I say it.. A ficlet? Stories that have short contents but many chapters!

But just for you dear reviewers, this chapter is longer and has fluff! I love you guys! :)

So, yeah!

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: As always, Kuroko no Basuke is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain IV - First Shoot**_

Kise made his way home since his practice just ended. He scratched his head, he was left alone by his teammates again. Fangirls can really hold back his time.

"Kurokocchi, should've waited for me! How mean of him!"

He walked with a bored face on, he has nothing to do right now and has no photoshoots at the moment. He looked at the orange-painted sky, the sun was almost setting so he better go home now and get some rest. Resting sure sounds good once in a while.

But playing a bit more of basketball can sure hit the spot.

He rushed his steps and let his feet bring him to the usual court, if his memory serves him right, he's sure that no one's using the court at this time.

As he arrived at the court, his eyes widened as he saw an orange-haired girl in the middle of the court, dribbling the ball rather clumsily.

"Hm..? It's strange but I think I know who she is... Oh right!"

Realization hit him as he remembered who the braided girl was. How could he forget? She was their class rep!

"But what's she doing?"

Thinking that something interesting might happen, he stood there for a while and watched her.

"Uh.. This is dribbling, right?"

She started talking to herself, looking at the ball as she dribbled it with one hand.

_'Yes, that's dribbling but anyone can steal that ball if you dribble it like that.'_

Kise smiled a bit, finding it entertaining to watch her. Everyone in their class knows that the class rep is only good at studying and sucks at sports as hell.

She suddenly stopped dribbling but as she stopped, she dropped the ball and it rolled away from her.

"Ah! Wait!"

She followed the ball and took it in her hands as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay.. When there's dribbling then there's shooting right? I hope I can shoot it in.."

She walked to her position again and Kise blinked as he noticed her position; she was at the three-point line.

She raised the ball to her head's level, readying herself to shoot and with a blink of an eye, she shot the ball to the hoop and luckily, it went in.

She stood there dumbfounded.

"No way. It went in. That's like 3 points right? And it went in!"

She skipped and jumped, utter joy invading her features, she was giggling and laughing, happy that she, a sucker at sports shooted a 3 point shot, even though she knows that it's only begginer's luck.

"Yay~! Yay~! It went in! Great!"

Kise chuckled at the sight and started walking again, leaving the girl alone. He didn't want to interrupt her when she's smiling and laughing like that. He'll play next time.

But seeing her was like seeing a child complete her first errand. She was jumping with joy when she shot the ball and if his guess is right, that's her first shoot in her whole life.

She was just there having fun with basketball, her innocent smile adorning her face. No strings attached, no rivals, no thinking about how to get better. Nothing. Just having fun. Pure entertainment. She had such an honest smile that showed she was really happy.

And that was really _cute_.

Wait.

What?!

Did he seriously think that the class rep was cute just now?

"I'm starting to get weird..."

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

Any comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Questions?

Tell me via review!

I don't bite!


	5. Grain V - Set-up

A/N:

To **damnheart.o3**:

So when will they talk huh? Welp, that's one thing that you have to watch out. I would really like to tell you but I don't want to spoil you. Ehe. :9  
Oh, and also, thank you for your constant reviewing! I really appreciate it!

And that's it!

Here's the next installment!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

* * *

_**Grain V - Set-up**_

Casual clothes, winter clothes, swimwear, pajamas formal suit, jersey and heck, even shirtless. Tomomi has seen Kise wear all of these. Plus, she has already seen all the expressions that Kise can make; flirty, innocent, cold, naughty, melancholic etcetera.

But unfortunately, she is not the only one that Kise shows it to. He was a model, and a model's job is to make people look at them or grab their attention.

Just like now.

All the girls' attention was on him for he was one of the features of this month's magazine; Monthly Basketball. The main article was about the Generation of Miracles.

"Kise-kun! We've seen the article you're in!"

"They've recognized your skills!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"You're really great at Basketball!"

Kise scratched his cheeks, embarrassed at the praises that was directed at him.

"I think that article was really exaggerating though. I'm just new to the Generation of Miracles and it's really hard to keep up with them."

The girls begged to differ with him, whining and shaking their heads.

"No! You're actually really great!"

"You're keeping up with them just nicely!"

Kise smiled at his fangirls, they were really thinking so highly of him. He wouldn't want to disappoint them, he was truly grateful that he had such great fans to keep him going.

"Thanks for the encouragement, guys! I'll try harder and continue to do my best everyday."

Tomomi smiled as she heard that, she was actually listening to their chat. Not that she can't help it, she always hear them chat everyday since they were in the same class. Seeing Kise having fun with his life was really refreshing to her. She really likes him too much to the point that his smile makes this one-sided love of hers worth it.

She looked at the window beside her and closed her eyes, feeling the gentle wind caress her skin.

..A famous person and a mere fan.

She was contented with this set-up.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of golden orbs landed on her form, giving her a curious look.

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

I would like some reviews guys! Fuel my passion to write!


	6. Grain VI - Imagination

A/N:

Hoho~ Yosh! I was waiting for someone to ask what Tomomi looks like! So instead of telling what she looks like, I'll just show y'all!

Dundundun. Please look at the cover image of this fic. ...Yes, that's her! She's wearing Teiko's spring sweater uniform.

Art is by **kyubee** and the editing is by me!

To those who don't know, you can click on the cover image if you want to see it clearer!

If you want a brief description about her appearance, then please look at chapter 1.

Now, here's the next chapter!

Dear readers, please enjoy~

Disclaimer: KuroBasu is not mine!

* * *

**_Grain VI - Imagination_**

"Nice pass, Kurokocchi!"

As usual, basketball practice occurred at the gym today and Tomomi's habit of watching never failed to stop. But something was weird.

No fangirls.

And who is this Kuroko?!

Actually, No fangirls aren't really news. They don't drop by everyday like her. They watch every now and then. As for Kuroko.. Was there even a member named Kuroko? She never really noticed. She only knows about the other four miracles.

Murasakibara Atsushi, the tallest one who always eats snacks like there's no tomorrow. Midorima Shintarou, the glasses boy who always fixes his nails when he's benched. Akashi Seijuurou, their captain who drives Kise crazy with all of his extra trainings and Aomine Daiki, the ace whom Kise always challenges on one-on-ones.

She knows all of them quite well since she always watches their practice, plus they're all quite popular because they are the strongest team in Japan, the five prodigies, the Generation of Miracles.

She also personally knows Momoi Satsuki, the basketball club's manager. She's quite good friends with the beautiful girl since she's the top 2 student of Teiko middle while Tomomi is the top 1. They have conversations about studies sometimes.

But this Kuroko? She never heard about him.

_'I know! Maybe he's that rumored phantom 6th man..'_ she thought, hitting her fist to her palm, emphasizing that she got something right.

She resumed on watching and saw Kise as he tried to shoot a 3 point shot. She giggled a bit when Kise scratched his head as the ball missed the hoop. She preferred dunks though, Kise looks cool that way. She smiled.

Just then she noticed that Kise was staring at her, she blinked and pushed her glasses up only to see that he was not staring at her anymore.

Did he really stare at her just now?

Or was that just her imagination?

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

How about a little trivia about Tomomi?

MiraGen's last names are all hinting about the colors of their hairs right?

So does Tomomi's!  
Her last name's Dairoki and "Dairo" there is from the japanese of orange: "Daidairo".

So there ya go!

Reviews?


	7. Grain VII - Peculiar

A/N:

Sorry guys, but my updates will become slow this week because of school. I'm actually a senior student who is also a part of the school paper. I'm also a cosplayer and has photoshoots. So yeah, life's going to get busy.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

* * *

_**Grain VII - Peculiar**_

Kise has been noticing something.

Their class representative, Dairoki Tomomi, never fails to watch the basketball club's practice everyday. He never really paid attention but he was sure that she's been doing that for a long time.

She would watch their practice, seat at the furthermost corner of the bleachers, smile when someone makes a shot, giggle when they miss and then leave nonchalantly when the practice ends.

Classmates had told him that she really hated sports so why would she watch their practice and even official matches with other schools?

Maybe she had taken a liking to the sport? He even saw her playing basketball alone at a park a few days ago.

Maybe she was one of his fangirls? Nah. She didn't give off that aura. And she's always far from those group of girls.

Maybe she likes someone from the basketball club and just wanted to watch him? Can be. But he's not entirely sure.

Why?

Why would she watch something she hates?

It was tickling his sense of curiosity.

He never became this interested at someone before and a girl at that.

Sure, he was interested at other people but it was only for their skills.

This was the first time he's been interested in someone's peculiar actions.

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

Don't be shy to review, please! Your reviews will definitely encourage me to find a way and make time for this fic just for my readers.


	8. Grain VIII - True Love

A/N:

I'm back! Sorry for the late update guys!

Not that busy anymore~ My fast updates will now commence!

Here's the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: KnB is not mine!

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_**Grain VIII - True Love**_

Tomomi was having a peaceful lunch break at her favorite hang-out; the library. She sighed in bliss and flipped the page of the book she was reading; it was about Greek Mythology.

"Hey, hey! Have you heard about Kazumi-senpai?"

"Hm? What about her?"

"You know Kise Ryota? That famous model? Kazumi-senpai dumped him!"

"What? No way!"

Tomomi blinked as the name of her beloved resounded in her ears, she was unintentionally hearing the chat of the two girls who were giggling like madmen. For God's sake, this is a library and it's not a place to chat about things like that. She pushed her glasses up.

"...And listen to this! She's now going out with Ichiro-senpai, the heir of a very rich family!"

"So she just wanted to date rich guys, huh?

Tomomi didn't like where this conversation was going, she always hear rumors like that about Kise; about him going out with different girls all the time. According to the rumors, he just accepts their confession and goes with the flow. Unfortunately, his relationship with them don't even last for a month; The girls always dump him then finds another guy in no time.

And of course, rumors like these stuff doesn't really help at all and always made things worse for Kise.

Tomomi absolutely hated that.

"Yeah, yeah! That Kise Ryota is so stupid! Accepting a girl like that! He's good looking and famous but he doesn't have brains! What a turn off!"

"I know right!"

"Gyahahaha~!"

Tomomi slammed her hands on the table as she stood up, earning many stares from the people in the library. She death glared at the two girls and their response was to stiffen in fear. She then arranged her stuff, grabbed her bag and left the room.

The two girls stared at each other, dumbfounded.

"What's her problem?"

_**# # # # # # # #**_

Tomomi stormed off to who-knows-where, those two really made her mad. She's really not the type to get angry easily but to hear them badmouthing Kise like that made her heart break into two.

They don't even know how it feels.

..How it feels to be loved just because of your fame and status

..And not you yourself.

If it was only her..

If it was only her that he would choose..

..Then she can show him what true love is.

* * *

A/N:

So what do y'all think about this chapter?

I, the authoress, really didn't like writing this chapter. I hate that I have think up of something insulting to Kisecchi! And also, I hate those gossiping girl extra characters that I made. XD

How about you?

Tell me in a review!


	9. Grain IX - Chance

A/N:

New Chapter!

Okay, guys. This story is completely un-beta read so I'm sorry if there are some grammar mistakes. If you notice one, then please point it out. :)

Enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: The plot and the OC are the stuff that is mine!

* * *

_**Grain IX – Chance**_

Tomomi slid open the door to the faculty room then bowed to the teachers as she entered.

She was being summoned by her adviser, he had told her that he has an urgent matter of favour that he wants her to do and she was the only one who could fit for the job.

She wondered what it could be.

She went to her adviser's table, eyes widening upon seeing the person sitting in front of her teacher.

The one and only famous idol of Teiko Middle.

Kise Ryota.

Her teacher perked up as he saw her approaching figure, he then cleared his throat out.

"Ah, Dairoki-san, it's good that you came. Now, about my favour.. Kise Ryota here is having trouble with his grades and apparently, he is going to have a re-take exam in two weeks."

Tomomi glanced at Kise, he was scratching his cheeks in embarrassment. It looks like he's been too much into basketball lately and was unexpectedly neglecting his studies.

"…And since you're the class representative and also Teiko's top one student, I think you would be a great help to him."

Tomomi continued to listen to her adviser and was processing each and every one of the words that came out of his mouth. Her eyes widened as she got what he implied in his statement. But in case that her guess was wrong, she asked him:

"..Then that means that you want me to be his..?"

A nod.

"I want you to be his tutor."

"EHH?!"

Tomomi gaped at her teacher.

Could this be..

Could this be her long-awaited chance to get close to her beloved?

Is she going to take it?

…Or not?

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

Review please?

If you guys have a suggestion then please do tell me. I'd love to hear about your opinions. I'll try considering it if it fits the story well~

So yeah!

Fuel my passion to write with your magical reviews!


	10. Grain X - Beginning

A/N:

The long-awaited development is about to start!

Here's the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: KuroBasu is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain X – Beginning**_

Tomomi couldn't believe what's happening right now.

Afterschool, in the library, Kise Ryota is sitting beside her, struggling to solve the math problems before him.

It was like a dream come true.

"Um.. Kise-kun, don't you know what formula to use?"

Kise scratched his head and gave her a rather goofy smile.

"Well.. Actually, no.."

Facepalm.

Yes, as you can see, Tomomi accepted her adviser's proposal of tutoring Kise for his re-take exams and with a "Please take care of me from now on", she became Kise's official tutor starting from today.

…But she has to observe a rule that Kise must not break according to her adviser.

Kise must not attend any practices of the basketball club until his re-take is over.

Of course, Kise protested to that but the teacher said that he already told his captain, Akashi, about this matter which the redhead agreed on. The teacher also said that he shouldn't make Tomomi wait just because of his practice because it might inconvenience Tomomi's time and their study time which is bad.

Kise couldn't do anything but just gave up and whined something among the lines of "extra trainings".

To make a long story short, Kise's time will be to Tomomi's during this whole two weeks.

…So that's where it all began.

Where Tomomi decided to begin shortening the distance between the two of them.

'**(1)**_Ganbaremasu…!'_

* * *

A/N:

**(1)** _Ganbaremasu_ – I'll do my best

Ok, guys! Expect my chapters to get longer now!

Reviews are love!


	11. Grain XI - Conversation

A/N:

Cliché. I get that a lot. My co-author slash best friend **Azalea Cruor** even told me that I'm an ice cream; strawberry flavoured, in fact sprinkled with cliché-ness. I get reviews like _"It's cliché but it's really sweet!"_ in my fics all the time. I think it's because I utterly love shoujo manga?

But I can't help it. In this cruel world of ours, I should at least make everything go the character's way in fiction. This is my only escape in the harsh reality called life. As an author, that's what I personally think. :)

Just wanted to share this with you guys!

Here's the next chapter!

Happy reading, my dear readers!

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-san

* * *

_**Grain XI – Conversation**_

First things first, before Tomomi starts some real tutoring, she has to know what Kise's last test scores are, his current rank in the school , his strongest and weakest subject and last but not the least, his study habits.

Tomomi sighed, she was happy, yes but kind of irked because she doesn't like low grades. After seeing Kise's scores on the last test and the test before that, she could say that his current test scores are a total disaster.

She continued to scrutinize each of Kise's test papers; she might not look like it but actually, she was quite nervous and her heart was pounding like crazy. She was just using studies as a distraction to forget what she's feeling right now.

"From rank 70th to 125th.. Your rank really dropped way too low huh.." Tomomi wandered out loud, "Well, I can see that from your test scores.." she said as she stared at the papers from her hands.

Kise scratched his head, "It was a tough battle.."

"How did this happen? You didn't review? You don't listen in class?" Tomomi asked.

"Well.. Um.. Err.." Kise fumbled with his words then started to explain, "Actually, I was with Kurokocchi and the others to photocopy Momoicchi's notes but the machine ran out of paper. Kurokocchi said that there's a photocopy machine at the arcade so we went there and ended up playing. I haven't had the time to review, plus, I forgot to photocopy Momoicchi's notes.."

Tomomi listened well to Kise's statement, "So you played in the arcade instead of reviewing for the exams," she concluded.

"Yes.." Kise sweatdropped, "If only I had the last resort!" he clenched his fists.

Tomomi blinked, "Eh? Last resort?"

Kise flashed her a thousand-watt smile and got a rather weird pencil from his bag, "Midorimacchi's pencil!"

Kise presented Tomomi a green-colored pencil. Numbers and a quote saying "**(1)**Yushimatenjin" was written on it.

Tomomi tilted her head to the side, "A pencil..?" she asked.

"Not just a pencil! It's a lucky rolling pencil!" Kise declared.

"Huh? What's a rolling pencil?" Tomomi asked again, she really didn't understand the things Kise was saying.

"It's obvious that a very smart person like you don't know how to use things like this."

"…?"

"To use this, roll it like a dice and when a number comes up then that's the answer to the test question!"

"Are you sure that it's the correct answer?"

"Well, I'm 95% sure that it's the correct answer."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Oh, okay.."

"What a weak reaction **(2)**Inchou," Kise sighed, "This pencil is not mine though, Midorimacchi gave it to Kurokocchi and I forgot to borrow it from him."

"Wouldn't it be much easier if you just study for your exams?"

"Ehhhhh? Really now?"

They both laughed happily together in the library room, their voices ringing in the air, enjoying each other's company, relishing their shared time.

Tomomi never knew that her first conversation with Kise will be all about a little pencil but nevertheless, she was happy.

"You're kind of weird Kise-kun."

"Weird?!"

"Ssh! Silence in the library!"

"Y-yes, **(3)**sensei!"

* * *

A/N:

**(1)**_ Yushimatenjin_ – Man proposes, God disposes. Midorima's famous quote.

**(2)**_ Inchou _**– **Class Representative

**(3)**_ Sensei – _Teacher

I'll be inserting some situations that happened in the Kuroko no Basuke -Replace- series here in my fic! Just so you guys know, the arcade thingy Kise said there happened in the novel.

To those who don't know, Kuroko no Basuke -Replace- series are short stories in Teiko Middle. It is written in a light novel format. Two novels have already been released.

So yeah! There will be spoilers from the Replace novel!

And that's for the loooongggg note!

Reviews? :D


	12. Grain XII - Amazing

A/N:

Hey there, I'm updating again. Sorry for the late update. Been busy with school projects

Enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: Kuroko's Basketball is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XII – Amazing**_

"Inchou, let's take a break first," Kise suggested.

"Uh.. Y-yeah.. I think we should."

It was afterschool hours, the sun was almost setting and the two of them are still studying in the library. Books and notebooks are scattered on the table that they were using.

Kise stretched his arms, "Geez! Akashicchi will give me a lot of trainings next week! I'm sure of it!"

Tomomi giggled at his statement.

Kise looked at her from the corner of his eyes; this is a great timing to ask her about the basketball club since his curiosity is really getting the better of him. He took a deep breath.

"By the way, Inchou, you always watch our practice right?" Kise asked.

Tomomi's eyes widened, "H-how did you know?"

"Just noticed," Kise said, propping his chin on his palm, "You don't like sports right? So why watch?"

"Well.. Um.. Personal reasons.." Tomomi answered. She couldn't really tell him that she watches because he's there right?

Kise's reaction was rather that of surprise, "A-ah! Is that so? Sorry for being nosy!" he chuckled a bit, "So, what do you think of our club?"

". . ."

"Don't hold back, it's okay to say negative stuff," Kise smiled reassuringly.

Tomomi nodded, "Well then.."

"I hate how you all play basketball," she looked at Kise in the eyes, "Sure all of you are strong but there's something missing. Something is lacking." She said in an all serious tone.

Tomomi just doesn't simply watches basketball, she observes. She also researched about the said sport since it piqued her interest.

Tomomi looked at Kise who was listening to her quite eagerly so she decided to continue on, "I'm not going to tell you what that is though. It is a thing that you must know by yourselves and once you all realize what you lack then all of you will be much stronger not only in physical but also.." she poked Kise's chest, "In here."

Kise flinched a bit in surprise because of Tomomi's sudden action but came back to his senses. She was so honest with her words. He never knew that the class rep can talk in such a way since she's always just quiet every day. It really is true that quiet people are the ones who say such great things. He looked at her, only to see that she was smiling, he returned back a smile, "Thanks for sharing what you thought to me, Inchou."

"But you know.. It really is wonderful.. The sight of the basketball club putting everything in the line just to win.." Tomomi added.

"..It is as if all of you are bleeding your true colours."

Kise's eyes widened at her last statement.

Crap.

It seems that he found yet another amazing person.

..She was amazing in her own unique way.

"Kise-kun.. Let's get back to studying?"

"…Yeah! Sure!"

* * *

A/N:

Reviews make me happy! :D


	13. Grain XIII - Adorable

A/N:

The longer chapters request is coming at me again. XD

I thought I already said this in one of my author's notes but I will elaborate it again. This time I'll be more specific.

This fanfic is a _**drabble ficlet**_; it is composed of many chapters with short stories. So please don't expect a 1,000 plus words chapter. The longest chapter that I can make is 900 words.

I made this fanfic a drabble ficlet for a reason. But I don't want to spoil you guys. :D

I hope I cleared your confusions.

Enjoy reading! :D

Disclaimer: The Basketball which Kuroko plays is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XIII – Adorable**_

A few days have passed since Tomomi's tutorial session with Kise has started. They always spend time studying during lunch breaks and after school hours. Kise also approaches Tomomi in class whenever he has a question in mind.

With all of that time that they spent together, of course they grew closer. Kise was a very friendly and bright person and Tomomi is polite enough to keep his conversations going. Kise has also been calling her with a nickname of "Tomomicchi" along the process of their friendship which Tomomi found kind of embarrassing.

Kise was kind of clingy too. Like a cute puppy who found its master. Tomomi can almost see a wagging tail whenever he approaches her. Not that she didn't like it though.

Their days of being together were about to end since the day of his re-take exams is drawing near. Tomomi knows that this wonderful feeling can't last forever but she was happy being with Kise like this. She was happy to see the sides of Kise that she knows alone.

"Mmn.."

A rather muffled moan beside Tomomi disturbed her musings; it was Kise and it looks like he fell asleep without Tomomi noticing since she's busy reading a book.

She put a bookmark within the pages and flipped the book to a close. She put the book away and decided to study Kise's features.

He has really smooth skin; as expected from a model. And relatively long eyelashes. His shoulders were rising and falling with steady rhythm and his lips were slightly parted.

And also, his hair looks really silky.

Tomomi blinked and proceeded to slowly reach out to Kise's head, her fingertips making contact with Kise's hair. She caressed Kise's blonde locks, her delicate fingers lacing with every strand.

His hair felt really good to touch.

It was really soft…

"…Tomomicchi?" Kise said sleepily as he opened one eye before opening the other one.

Tomomi gasped and pulled away her hand from Kise's head, "S-sorry for waking you up..!" she apologized.

Kise looked at her, not bothering to move from his comfortable position, "It's okay," he smiled at her, "But what were you doing?"

"N-nothing much.. Just wondering what a boy's hair would feel like.." she said and smiled back sheepishly, "I thought it would be spiky since boy's these days uses wax and gel... I never knew that it was so soft."

Kise chuckled a bit at her statement, "Is that so?" he closed his eyes in order to continue his peaceful sleep again. Being with Tomomi makes him feel at ease. She has a very calm aura emanating from her.

"Tomomicchi.."

"Yes?"

"Just.. Continue doing that.. Petting my head.."

Tomomi smiled.

He really is too adorable.

* * *

A/N:

Reviews please? Tell me what you think!

I don't bite. :3


	14. Grain XIV - Rain

A/N:

Sorry guys! Late update. I kinda had a writer's block. XD

I hate that feeling when I can't think up of anything interesting. D':

Disclaimer: KnB is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XIV – Rain**_

Tomomi stood by the pavement of the front doors of the school. She pulled her hand back to herself and looked at the water drops clinging to her fingers, "I can't believe this is happening right now…"

The weather report has predicted that it was going to be sunny today so Tomomi didn't bother to pack an umbrella. There was a drizzle during lunch break; she swore she heard a bare grumble of thunder but did not pay attention since she trusted the report.

"The weather forecast is a lie-!"

"Tomomicchi!" A certain tall smiling blonde came running towards her direction, "Sorry for the wait! Got caught by a bunch of fangirls," Kise said apologetically, a sheepish hand rubbing the back of his head.

"It's ok," Tomomi smiled at him. Kise was still the ever-changing model slash idol of their school so Tomomi didn't really mind waiting for him when they walk home together.

Kise walks her home every day after their tutorial session. He said so since this was him showing his thanks to her. Tomomi refused his proposal at first since being together with someone as famous as him was no walk in the park. She could always feel the deadly glares and piercing stares that is aimed at her whenever Kise approaches her. It was good that there were no bullying done to her yet. No one really dared to bully Teiko's top 1 student in the first place.

But Kise insisted to, he also added that something might happen to her in the road since they always finish studying at a rather late time. Tomomi couldn't really handle Kise's persistence so it got decided that Kise shall bring her home.

"It really is pouring, huh.." Kise looked up at the dark sky; it was covered with thick clouds. It was raining rather heavily, "You don't have any umbrella, Tomomicchi?" he asked.

Tomomi shook her head, "How about you?"

"Ah.." he paused, "No.." Kise said with a guilty expression on his face, "I didn't think that it would rain."

His words got Tomomi frowning, this is so not her day. The weather forecast lied, it was raining hard, she doesn't have an umbrella and her house was two blocks away from the school.

There was no choice but to wait for the rain to calm down.

Kise smiled as a bright idea came to his mind, "We can go to my place!" he exclaimed.

"W-what?" she looked at Kise, he was smiling at her and was looking at her expectantly, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

"Just until the rain dies down. I live closer than you do anyway," he explained, taking Tomomi's bag along with her hand before she could further object, "Let's go!"

They exited the school, hand in hand and started heading to Kise's house. Tomomi had a hard time keeping up with Kise's running and mentally cursed his longer strides.

"Kise-kun! Please! Slow down a bit!"

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

Reviews please? Cure my writer's block! :D


	15. Grain XV - House

A/N:

OMG. Saying that my story is cute, adorable and is getting better and interesting really encourages me to write! I tend to lose interest in my fics when no one reviews. SRSLY.

You guys really know how to cheer me up, huh? Are y'all psychics? Haha! XD

Here's the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XV – House**_

"Ah, we're really soaked!" Tomomi said as the both of them stumbled through the doorway.

Kise got his apartment keys from his bag and fumbled with it, "I can't believe the rain got stronger. Those forecasters were off big-time," he said and put the key to the knob, turned it then opened the door.

Yes, the two of them ran to Kise's house to wait there for the rain to die down as the blonde boy suggested doing so. And also, it was really near to the school. Unfortunately, much to their chagrin, the rain got stronger on their way so they got really wet.

"Wait here for a second, Tomomicchi," he handed Tomomi a pair of slippers to wear and dashed off, leaving her behind.

He came back within a second, a towel and clothes in hand, "You can dry off in the bathroom, it's the door to the right," he said and gave Tomomi the things that he was holding, "Wear this for the meantime."

Tomomi nodded, "Okay," she said then made her way to the bathroom. As soon as she arrived, she opened the door and closed it as she entered.

She blinked and grinned at the sight before her.

There were a plethora of beauty products- from facial cleansers to creams- strewn about a pristine bathroom. She chuckled a bit.

"…As expected from a model."

Actually, this was Tomomi's first time in a boy's house, Kise's house to be specific. The blonde was living on his own, much to Tomomi's surprise because she had always thought that Kise lived with a warm and loving family.

Kise's apartment was spacious, too big for a single person, in her opinion, but his apartment was not really filled with that many stuff.

Tomomi frowned as a thought came to her.

This can never be called a _'home'_.

…But only a _'house'_.

The image of it was kind of lonely.

* * *

A/N:

Reviews please? I certainly love receiving them! :D


	16. Grain XVI - Possessive

A/N:

So many views! The favorites and followers are increasing too! I'm so happy! :)

Enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke and its characters are not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XVI – Possessive**_

Kise was drying himself in his room as he waited for Tomomi to finish; he rubbed his wet hair with a fluffy towel, hoping that friction can help him dry his hair up.

"What's taking her so long?" Kise said as he yawned and stretched a bit, revealing a tease if those well-toned abs.

"Um.. Kise-kun, where do I put my clothes?" Tomomi's voice called him out, turning around, he saw Tomomi in front of him.

He froze.

In front of him was Tomomi wearing the black shirt that he lent her, the shirt hardly hugged her small frame since it was too big on her. It ended by her thighs, revealing a huge amount of the smooth skin of her flawless legs. Her long orange tresses was not in its usual braids but was left down and also, she was not wearing her glasses and gave Kise a clear view of her eyes.

She had very beautiful eyes; it was doll-like and a little droopy. She has long eyelashes and glassy orange orbs that made her look a bit vulnerable and fragile.

His eyes widened at the sight, it was definitely not like Tomomi. It was like a whole other person standing in front of him. He never thought that Tomomi had a side like this.

"God.."

The class rep was really…

_Cute._

"Did you say something, Kise-kun?" Tomomi asked and cocked her head to the side, giving him a questioning look.

Kise bursted out, "Tomomicchi! Why aren't you wearing the shorts that I gave you?! What are you wearing underneath that shirt?!" he asked, his voice a bit louder than the usual.

Tomomi panicked for she was bombarded with questions, "E-eh! Your shorts were big on me and it kept falling so I just wore my skirt on! Why are you shouting at me?! And why are you thinking about what I'm wearing underneath?!" Tomomi exclaimed, trying her hardest to also raise her voice.

Kise sweatdropped, it really looked like she was not wearing anything underneath because his shirt perfectly hid her skirt, "S-sorry, just a bit surprised is all," he scratched his cheek.

"Kise-kun… You pervert."

"Eh?!"

"Were you thinking that I'm not wearing anything under this shirt?"

Bull's eye.

"I-I'm not!"

"Waah! See?! Pervert!"

"Stop calling me a pervert! That's mean!"

Kise rubbed the back of his head, "Geez, here Tomomicchi," he put the towel that he was using a while ago on top of her head, "Oh, let me put that to the dryer for you," he offered, taking Tomomi's clothes and making his way to his destination, leaving Tomomi behind.

He shuffled the clothes and put them in the dryer, he pushed a button and let the dryer do its job, as he did so, he facepalmed at what happened earlier and just chuckled it off. It was really funny, seeing Tomomi puffing her cheeks out as she told him that he was a pervert.

…But there was a weird feeling inside him when he saw that side of Tomomi.

It was a feeling of never wanting any other boy but him seeing her like that.

"…Is this what they call being possessive?"

He just had to wonder about that.

* * *

A/N:

Please review!

Actually guys, I'd be happier if y'all drop a review! Don't be shy! Please tell me what you think. You can praise me or whatnot, you can even criticize me about my writing skills and grammar. You can also give suggestions too!

..But please don't forget to be respectful to me, the authoress.


	17. Grain XVII - Umbrella

A/N:

Sorry guys, late update and I've got three reasons for that:

1. I got lazy  
2. I got lazy  
3. I got lazy

Haha! I've been feeling lazy this week, so this chapter is short. XD

Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is not mine.

* * *

_**Grain XVII – Umbrella**_

"Tomomicchi, want to drink something?"

Tomomi perked up as she heard Kise's offer, "Oh! Yes, please," she answered smiling, "I'd like to have tea."

"Okay then, wait here for a bit, this would be done in a flash," he smiled at her and made his way to the kitchen.

Tomomi took this chance to take in the little things Kise has done to claim the room as his.

Kise's room was simple, with a well-made bed, a couple of shelves and a door that Tomomi was certain led to a walk-in closet. A few posters were up on the wall, picture frames on a desk that also sported a new-looking computer. A white jacket draped over the desk chair. A basketball on the floor.

She smiled, it was so Kise-like.

Glancing down, she saw her bag beside Kise's. She opened it to get the book she borrowed from the library. She wanted to read as she waited for him.

Accidentally, she knocked the blonde's bag over, cursing lightly, she moved to pick it up then something caught her eye.

She blinked once. Twice. Then reached out to pull the bag's zipper open just a bit more.

There, yellow fabric, rolled up neatly with a slim white plastic handle jutting out of one end.

An umbrella.

"He.. He had an.."

She wondered why he lied about having an umbrella. It was really impossible that he forgot that he has one since he even looked into his bag when she asked him.

Why did he do this?

She didn't get it.

* * *

A/N:

I'll update again after this laziness goes away. XD

Reviews? Please fuel my passion to write!


	18. Grain XVIII - Missing

A/N:

Oh lookie here! An update!

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: KnB is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XVIII - Missing**_

"Dairoki Tomomi?"

Silence filled the room as the teacher paused, waiting for the person who wasn't there to answer.

"Absent again? This is really rare for her."

Kise, who was tuning out the teacher's words, glanced worriedly at Tomomi's empty seat. It seems that she got sick because of the rain. This was the second time that she decided to take a leave of absence from school. How long would it take for her to come back? Four days? Two weeks? A month? Okay, he was exaggerating but wherever she was, it had to be important. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but want her back right now.

He shouldn't really complain because this was his entire fault. He didn't tell her that he had an umbrella plus, he made her run into the rain. He himself didn't really know why he did that either, but maybe he just wanted to have a longer alone time with her that day when it rained.

He just wanted to spend more time together.

Kise sighed and started doodling on his notes.

Ever since he met her, it begun to never seem right when she was missing.

* * *

A/N:

I gasped when I realized how short this is! Sigh..

I'm a long chapter type of writer you see, so I'm not really used to writing such short chapters.

But! All of these short chapters have a purpose for the future and that's the only hint that I'm giving you guys.

Reviews? Please?


	19. Grain XIX - Phone

A/N:

Okaay~! First of all, I'll do some explaining first to clear some confusion. (I would like to explain since other readers might be thinking about it too.)

**Guest** asked why didn't Kise just shared his umbrella with her.

I made the reason really vague because Kise didn't understand why he did all of those things. Please think that my explanation is what Kise is thinking.

First, If he shares with her, then he can walk Tomomi to her house and Tomomi will not be able to come to his house and know about him more. Second, there is something inside him that wanted to see her in his clothes. Boys have a naughty side too. So Kise was thinking that she might look cute in his clothes. And the only way to see that is to soak her clothes with the help of the rain.

He is just really confused about his actions and whatnot and doesn't notice and think clearly about his feelings yet. You could say that he's just brushing complicated things off.

So yeah!

Anyways, here's the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: KuroBasu is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XIX – Phone**_

Tomomi glanced around the classroom; students taking notes, some chatting, the teacher writing her lecture on the board as she thoroughly discussed it...

She really missed the aura of school.

It's been three days since Tomomi took a leave of absence from school because she got a cold from the rain. She was not really that immune to sickness so she gets ill easily plus, she also have low stamina and fatigue.

To others, three days might be too short enough of a time off from school but to her, it felt like a year. She likes school so much because that's where she can do her hobbies productively; reading and studying.

But that's not the only reason why she likes school...

Just then a yellow paper came flying to her desk, "Psst.. For you.." the person in front of her whispered.

Tomomi tilted her head to the side, surprised by the sudden actions of her classmate. She opened the neatly folded paper, curious about the information inside.

_'_**(1)**_Ossu, Tomomicchi~! Sorry for disturbing you in the middle of the class...  
You were absent yesterday so I wasn't able to tell you sooner  
but I won't be able to attend our study session today.. Sorry!  
I have an important photoshoot to go to!  
- Kise ;D' _

Tomomi glanced at Kise's seat as soon as she read the note, he was looking at her rather expectantly. He then gave her a charming wink which made Tomomi flush a bit.

She gave him an 'ok' sign with her hands and earned a chuckle and a nod from the blonde model.

Tomomi felt her lips smiling, yes, to study and to read are not the only reasons why she liked school.

There's also that this is where she could interact with the boy of her dreams, her inspiration.

Kise Ryota.

Suddenly, another note came flying at her desk. She opened it and read the contents inside.

_'That reminds me.. Why don't you give me your e-mail address?  
So we can get in touch anytime when there's a matter like this!  
Nice idea right?  
Here's mine:  
(A/N: -insert imaginary e-mail address here!-)  
I have two cellphones, you see.  
One which I give out the address publicly and text my fans with and one for personal use.  
That's the address for my private phone so please don't give it to anyone, ok?  
Give me your address, Tomomicchi!  
- Kise :)' _

Tomomi giggled at the long note, she could clearly see that Kise was talkative as always.

She took a cute stationery from her bag and scribbled her e-mail on it. She folded the paper and she gave it to her classmate, whispering a soft "Please pass it to Kise".

Now that she think about it, she doesn't really use her phone that much. She only uses it to call her mom when she's going home late to not worry her. She hasn't really used it for e-mailing friends.

Tomomi smiled as she looked at the note, specifically, at Kise's e-mail address.

It was the very first e-mail address that she's going to save in her phone.

* * *

A/N:

**(1)** _Ossu!_ - Yo!

I'm gonna use Japan's way of text messaging, okay? :)

HAHA. I couldn't think up of Kise's e-mail address. XD

Updates will become slower since I'm working on a new story!

Reviews anyone? :D


	20. Grain XX - News

A/N:

Follows and favourites of this story is booming! Thank you guys!

This chapter took a while to get out. I must've kept y'all waiting! Sorry, really. XD  
I kind of took a break from writing and enjoyed my Christmas and New Year. I hope you guys enjoyed it too!

Anywho!

Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XX - News**_

Lights brightened up every corner, placed in long rows and hung from the chandeliers above. Still more glistened from the evergreen tree towering near the back of the room. Tinsel, too, was draped generously through its boughs and over the mantel, under which a fire was already roaring. Silence flooded the grand room filled with two unmoving figures.

"Hey, Tomo-chan~" a beautiful woman in her early 30's greeted cheerfully, raising a hand.

"A-ah.. Hi.." that was all Tomomi could manage to say. After all, she hadn't seen the woman for about a year. Dairoki Kouno. Her mother. A woman who she'd only see on and off their household and is always on business trips doing god-knows-what.

Tomomi's family owns a company that is involved in interior design. It is a very popular company so as to say, and pretty wealthy too. Her mother goes to business trips in order to be informed about different senses of interior while her father manages the paper works and the contracts.

Tomomi's parents might be busy but they make sure that they always have time for Tomomi and her younger sister, Tomoe; their beloved princesses.

Tomomi bit her lip, "It's been a while mom," she stiffened as the woman practically skipped towards her. Tomomi gagged as she was suddenly hugged, the momentum making her step back a little.

"True. So I'll be spending the spring here since I'm not busy!" Kouno said, even so, Tomomi could clearly see the "We need to talk" expression which only her eyes could see.

"Oh, right," Kouno perked up, "Where's the boy who has walked you home these past few days~?" she sang out, a saccharine smile adorning her features, "How come I hadn't seen him today?"

"He has something to do toda- Wait. How did you know that mom?" Tomomi asked, dumbfounded as she gaped at her mother.

"From the maids," Kouno answered, "I got intrigued by their conversation earlier this morning: About a sexy blonde ikemen who is with you."

Tomomi sighed and rubbed her temples, so the maids were gossiping about Kise. She knew that this would happen. But really.. A sexy blonde ikemen? Tomomi couldn't deny that. Argument invalid.

Of course, Kise had already seen her house. Kise couldn't believe that he was still in Japan when he saw her house. It was that big. He made an unintelligible noise as a reaction in which Tomomi found kind of funny.

Kouno blinked and tilted her head as she saw the smile on Tomomi's face, "Fill me in, Tomo-chan. Is he your boyfriend? I want to meet him!" she said, clasping her hands together.

Tomomi frowned and opened her mouth to speak, "No, mom. He's not."

Kouno gasped, "Don't tell me that you are having an illicit affair with him?!" of course, a drama fanatic would come up with such a ridiculous notion.

"That's probably the last thing that I'll do," Tomomi sweatdropped, "He's just a.. Friend," she said, feeling a slight pang on her chest.

Just then, a knock on the door was heard, it opened once Kouno gave the permission to enter, revealing a maid who brought tea for the mother and daughter. She set the tea on the coffee table and proceeded to leave the room, bowing as she did so.

Kouno's lashes lowered as she looked at the tea, it was her favourite brand of green tea, "I'll be stopping the chit-chat for now and get straight to the point, Tomomi," she spoke in a gentle but serious voice.

Tomomi sat in silence before sipping a bit of her tea, ignoring the burning sensation on her tongue, "I'm listening," she said, she knew that her mom has an important thing to say when she calls her by full name. She gave her mom a cursory glance.

"We're going to America after you graduate middle school."

* * *

A/N:

Happy 2013!

Year-beginner reviews for this fic is much appreciated!


	21. Grain XXI - Confession

A/N:

Super late update. I'm very sorry! Are you guys still reading this fic? I hope you are! I'll certainly finish this! It's just that I had a major writer's block and if you mix it with laziness, this is the outcome!

But I was really surprised at the reviews! It's nearing 100! *throws confetti*

Oh, and I want to thank this special reviewer, **Rasielis**! Your reviews really cheered me up big time and got my brain out of the gutter!

Anyways…

Here's the next installment! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: KnB is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XXI - Confession**_

Tomomi was musing silently in the school's courtyard, her braided marmalade locks flowing each time the wind passes by. She let her mind trail off as she looked at the sky then at the floating clouds, trying to escape her current problems at hand.

Today was the day that the exam results were posted. Obviously, Tomomi is the top 1 and she is tied with Akashi yet again. She also checked Kise's rank just to be sure that her tutoring worked on him and much to her surprise, Kise was on the top 20.

So here goes the problem, with the exam results posted and all, Tomomi's tutorial sessions with Kise had officially ended. With that, Kise can now go back to the basketball club's practices. Thus, no more alone time with him and with the courage that Tomomi had, there is no way in hell that she can just go up to him and ask him to hang out after school.

There's also her America problem. Well, that's just a false alarm. She and her family will be there for summer vacation and will be coming back to Japan once classes starts.

But there's also one more problem that popped out of nowhere. Tomomi just felt the urge to confess to Kise. She can't let things stay the way they are, right? But if she wants to confess she has to decide now and fast since graduation is just around the corner. The question is… How?

"I like you, Kise-kun! Please go out with me!"

...Yes. That will be the best sentence for the best confession. Wait. What? That was definitely not Tomomi's voice.

Tomomi turned around only to see Kise with a girl who confessed her feelings just now. Tomomi hid quickly behind a wall and scooted a little closer to hear more._ 'This is totally not eavesdropping. Just a research on how to confess,'_ Tomomi gave her thought a curt nod of approval, a habit of hers and listened to the two figure's conversation:

"Ah. Hey.. What's your name?" Kise began.

"I-I'm Fujyou Sanae..."

"Well then, Sanae-san.. Which part of me do you like?"

"Eh...?! Well.. I.. Uh.. When I watch you sometimes.. You're really beautiful and... You're really tall... It's just, you give off an air of perfection.. And I really... I really really like it! I think you're my ideal my person!"

Tomomi's heart sank as she heard the girl's statement. It was like she was directly telling Kise that she only likes his appearance.

"Thank you. But.. I'm sorry. I'll definitely disappoint you."

"No! How can that be! You-"

"I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings," Kise cut her off.

Pure, dead silence engulfed the space around Tomomi. She closed her eyes and her heart cracked when she heard how low Kise's voice was.

Tomomi slid down the wall and sat on the grass as she heard the girl's.. Sanae-san was it? Footsteps running off the opposite direction. _'So that's how to confess... And to get rejected,'_ she thought, hugging her knees and burying her head between them.

"It's bad to eavesdrop, Tomomicchi."

Tomomi's head shot up to the source of the voice and saw Kise standing beside her; arms crossed and is leaning against the wall.

"Oh! S-sorry about that!" Tomomi said, waving her arms, "So you knew I was there.."

Kise chuckled a bit, "I would know that lump of orange hair anywhere," he said as he pointed at her head.

Tomomi looked at him, noticing Kise's broken smile and his hunched posture, "You alright?"

Kise shrugged, "Sort of," he said before looking at the sky, "Wanna hear me out, Tomomicchi?"

Tomomi smiled and answered in a calm voice.

"Sure."

* * *

A/N:

Ohh! A cliffy!

What's Kise going to talk to her about? Find it out next time!

Reviews? Let us reach 100 reviews and conquer the world! Mwahaha!


	22. Grain XXII - Judgement

A/N:

Random topic. I just noticed that most of my reviewers are from the Philippines. Small world huh? Hehe. XD I like poking around in my reviewers' profiles. I'm curious about what kind of people read my fic.

Welp! Here's the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: As always, KuroBasu is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XXII - Judgement**_

Things were starting to get awkward. It's been 10 minutes now and none of them have spoken a single word but Kise decided otherwise and started to break the ice.

"I think it's their fault, you know?"

Tomomi's eyes flickered to Kise's face, the only sign she gave that she was paying attention.

Kise continued on talking, "They're always the ones who confesses to me to begin with and then get all disappointed when I'm not what they expect me to be," he said then put his hand on his pocket, fiddling his fingers inside.

Holding back a sigh, Tomomi answered, "You can't blame them, I guess..."

Kise made a huffing noise through his nose, "What are you getting at?" he asked, his lips twitched in a restrained effort to hide a frown.

"Look at it. You've got looks, style and you're athletic too. It's not that hard to understand why they'd fall in love with you."

"To them, I may be perfect, but I'm not that perfect."

"Yes. Yes, you're not. No one is."

Tomomi looked over at Kise and her heart leapt when she saw the seriousness in his eyes. Tomomi closed her eyes and sighed.

"In your case, there's a huge gap between your personality and your appearance."

Tomomi looked at Kise again, this time he was staring at the sky and he was being really quiet. Tomomi did the same notion and gazed at the never-ending blue above.

"I read in a book that it's human nature to judge by appearance and then I thought that these days, no one really bothers about things that they cannot see... Like the heart."

Silence filled the void as they shared company together, looking up at the sky, finding clouds float by.

"The heart huh..." Kise mused out loud.

"Actually, I know the solution for Kise-kun's problem," Tomomi said, voice as calm as ever.

"And what is that?"

"Just find someone who'll love everything about you. Your cool side, your weird side.. Everything! That's it!"

Kise's lips curved up.

"Sigh. How'd you do that?"

Tomomi tilted her head to the side, "Do what?" she asked.

Kise closed his eyes and murmured, "...Make everything so simple."

Tomomi's brows furrowed then she placed a cupped hand behind her ear, "What was that?"

"Nothing," Kise said, shrugging off the topic, "You know what Tomomicchi? I'd consider myself lucky if I could get someone like you."

Tomomi's eyes widened at Kise's statement just now and couldn't keep the blush off of her face. Kise chuckled when he saw her flushed cheeks.

"Thanks for listening to me. I'm glad I could talk about this to you," he said while walking away, waving his hand.

It was times like these when Tomomi's judgement of people interested him to no end.

* * *

A/N:

HOHOHO.

Oh, Kise. Stop it, you~

Dear readers, don't forget to drop a review now! :)


	23. Grain XXIII - Now

A/N:

Ohh! An update!

Hi guys! Welcome to another chapter of NLH!

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: KnB? Nope, not mine.

* * *

_**Grain XXIII - Now **_

Tomomi stared at her notebook as if it was the most interesting object in the world, she was still in a shock about what Kise told her and that was all she could think about day and night.

_'You know what, Tomomicchi? I'd consider myself lucky if I could get someone like you.' _

Of course, because of the genius girl she was, she tried to decode the meaning of it. Could it be that he likes her and wanted to go out with her? Nonono. Building too much hope and assuming that much could only end up with hurting herself. Theoretically speaking, what Kise said is a simile and that simile isn't specifically saying that it's her he wanted to go out with but only with someone like her. Ouch. She really should stop thinking too much. Her thoughts whether positive or negative are killing her.

"Okay, class! Is the groupings okay now?"

Tomomi perked up, she was tuning out the teacher's words and is not paying attention. Did he say something among the lines of "groupings"? Figures. She raised her hand.

"Oh, sir. I don't have a group."

"You again, Dairoki-san?"

Tomomi nodded as the teacher turned to the class and asked in a rather loud voice:

"Does anyone here want to group with her?"

Silence.

The class was silent, too silent in fact to be considered normal.

The quietness disturbed Tomomi and she found that she couldn't properly concentrate. She couldn't "function" without that background noise because it reassured her that things were as they should be and she didn't want that to change.

Her unfounded agitation only continued to worsen the longer the unnatural quietness lingered throughout the classroom.

It's always like this, no one dared to bother with her. To others, she was considered as a dull and shady nerd.

"I can do the report by myself, sensei."

"...If that's okay with you then."

The fact that it was natural for people to ignore and move away from a nerd like Tomomi, she was used to it, more like she had grown accustomed to it to the point that she didn't bother to make friends at all.

And then suddenly, the moment when someone raised a hand took everyone's attention. It was Kise.

"Sensei! I want to be grouped up with her! It's okay with two people right?"

Said teacher raised her brow and nodded.

"Yes. It's okay."

Tomomi looked at Kise with wide eyes as whines of protests from Kise's groupmates bursted as soon as the teacher approved his notion.

"Ehhhhh? You're leaving our group, Kisechin?"

"Sorry, Murasakibaracchi!"

"Let him be. We don't need him in this group anyways-nanodayo."

Kise bursted into comical tears as he heard the other bespectacled male's comment.

"You don't have to put it that way! How mean!"

Kise waved a goodbye to his groupmates and rushed to where Tomomi's place is, grabbed the nearest empty table and placed it beside hers. He then looked over her fidgeting form and flashed a big grin.

"I'll be in your care again, Tomomicchi!"

Tomomi eyed Kise. Nobody gave a damn about her.

...Or so she thought.

Maybe there is someone.

"Thank you, Kise-kun," she said, smiling. Gratefulness reflected in her eyes.

Kise stopped his movements for a second and gave her one of his best smiles, "You're welcome."

Kise clapped his hands, "Anyways, let's get this done and over with," he said casually, ready to tackle the task at hand. He raised his palm, obviously wanting a high-five, "Fight!"

"Ou!" Tomomi responded rather enthusiastically, hitting her palm on his.

She didn't bother to make friends at all but she wouldn't mind if Kise became her friend. (Isn't he already her friend?)

...Or maybe even something more than that.

In the past, Tomomi wouldn't even dare to think of that and just continue to daydream in a distance.

But now...

It's fine to think that she actually stood a chance, no?

Fight-ou!

* * *

A/N:

Is that Tomomi's character growth I see over there? :D

Anywho,

Please give me reviews!

Reviews seriously make me happy! What kind of author wouldn't be?


	24. Grain XXIV - Hate

A/N:

I'm officially a college student now so please expect very slow updates.

I calculated everything in this fic and I believe that this baby will have 35 or so chapters. Whew! We're at 24 now but we still have a long way to go! I'm still deciding on how to end this fic since I've got mixed feelings about the ending. No spoilers for you, though!

Moving on!

Disclaimer: Kuroko's Basketball is not mine!

* * *

_**Grain XXIV - Hate **_

"It's kinda embarrassing.. But.. It was my elder sister who signed me up for modelling, she sent a picture of me to the agency and then the next day, the agency came up calling," Kise scratched his cheek as he told his modelling history, smiling sheepishly through the process.

Tomomi, who was tentatively listening to the blonde's tale gasped, "Wait a minute... You have an elder sister, Kise-kun? I bet she's beautiful!" she beamed.

Kise chuckled at the orange head's statement, "She might be beautiful but she doesn't have any mercy when she's angry," he winced as he remembered a rather painful memory with his said sister. Kise smirked as a thought came to his mind, "...She does things like this!" he said as he pinched Tomomi's cheek, flexing and stretching the soft flesh.

Tomomi shut her eyes as the blonde did his mischievous prank, "Kishe-kwun, shtop jat!" she said, voice muffled.

Kise, not stopping his actions said, "Weird face!" he laughed out.

It was lunch break at Teiko Middle and the two of them started spending it together because the blonde model had decided to head over to Tomomi's desk and initiate a conversation. Tomomi, on the other hand, albeit being startled by Kise's sudden appearance, enjoyed the company he has to offer and kept their conversation going.

Unbeknownst to the two, specifically to Tomomi, five girls were glaring daggers at her. She doesn't seem to notice though, since she's too occupied with Kise.

Lately, Kise's loyal fanclub had noticed something. According to the club members who had been researching (stalking) for the past few months, Kise had been real close to the orange head ever since she started tutoring him. This was a real peril to the group of girls because Kise is "Everyone's Kise" and he shouldn't put all his attention on only one girl.

Actually, the club had experienced the same trouble not too long ago and the trouble went by the name of Momoi Satsuki. The case was solved quickly since it was obvious that the rosette liked someone else. Who was that again? Karoku Tatsuya?

Anyways, they have to deal with this and fast. They have to destroy the current relationship of Dairoki Tomomi and Kise Ryota.

_~Next Day~ _

As soon as the members of the basketball club heard the whistle from their coach, they all knew that practice was over now and it was time to head home.

A certain group of girls watched as the players slowed down their paces before taking knowing glances at each other. It was about time after all. They giggled amongst each other as they rushed down the bleachers and onto the court.

"Good work today, Kise-kun!"

The blonde turned their way and waved at them, making them swoon and instantly, he was surrounded by the girls.

"Hey, Kise-kun! Lately, You've been real close with Dairoki-san. So you interact with girls like her too?" the brunette leader of the girls asked.

Kise, who was wiping his sweat, cocked his head to the side, surprised as he heard Tomomi's name, "Ah.. Tomomicchi? Why not? You'll realize that she's a pretty interesting person once you talk to her."

The girl crossed her arms, certainly not amused with Kise's answer, "To be blunt with you, Kise-kun, it'd be best if you stop hanging around with her. She's so depressing. She's also bad news, even more when she's angry. Have you heard? She went on a rampage in the library!" as she stated this, she received a small chorus of nods and agreement from the other girls.

Kise frowned, something was up. The blonde decided to put up his smiling face and shrugged, "It's you people who's responsible for her gloominess. Spreading such rumors like that. And in any case, it'll still be bad news when anyone gets angry. It's not just her."

The girl sighed and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear before whining out, "Ehhh? Buuut-!"

Kise glared at her, shutting her up.

"I hate girls like you."

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

Le gasp! Kise's mad! What would happen now?

Oh, and btw, thank you for the follows and favourites everyone! Please review and tell me what you think, okay? :)

If you review, I write more. Not even kidding.

Thank you for reading and see you next chapter~!


	25. Grain XXV - Rumours

A/N:

Eclair-sama is baaack! (A reviewer called me that. I was so flattered!) Sorry for being late!

Life's so hard for someone like me when there's no internet.

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights goes to their respective owners.

* * *

_**Grain XXV - Rumours**_

"...So the answer becomes x cubed minus eight..."

Kise boredly listened to the discussion, jotting down some important stuff on his notebook every now and then. He fiddled his mechanical pencil, mind wandering off to the events that happened the other day ago.

He surprises himself sometimes. In his whole life, he never would've thought that he would be able to rebut a girl like that; one of his fans, nonetheless.

_'I hate girls like you.' _

Surprisingly, it felt good when he said that to the lass. He wondered why. Was it because it aggravated him? They were badmouthing Tomomi after all and he didn't like it one bit.

Speaking of Tomomi, those girls said something about her.

_'Have you heard? She went on a rampage in the library!' _

Those girls are insane. Tomomi in a rampage? He had never even seen her angry before.

_'Kise-kun, you pervert!' _

Kise chuckled silently to himself as a certain memory came to his mind. Was that considered being angry? Puffing her cheeks like that? It was cute.

Anyways, he was getting curious about that rumour in the library. He glanced to the front and saw Tomomi at her usual place by the window. No choice, he has to ask the person herself.

_**# # # # # # #**_

"A rampage? At the library?"

"Right. You didn't throw books at people or anything did you?"

"No way could I do that!" Tomomi said making an "x" sign with her arms to emphasize her point, she sighed, "Why is there such a rumour circulating anyway?" she slumped her shoulders, obviously bummed.

"Beats me," Kise shrugged, "You really don't remember doing anything particular in the library?" he asked her.

"Particulary, I just read there. Nothing spe-"

_-Sudden flashback-_

_"That Kise Ryouta is so stupid! Accepting a girl like that! He's good-looking and famous but he doesn't have brains! What a turn off!" _

_"I know right!" _

_"Gyahahaha~!" _

_Tomomi slammed her hands on the table as she stood up, earning many stares from the people in the library. She death glared at the two girls and their response was to stiffen in fear. She then arranged her stuff, grabbed her bag and left the room. The two girls stared at each other, dumbfounded. _

_"What's her problem?" _

_-End of flashback-_

Tomomi's marmalade orbs widened at the sudden flow of memories in her mind. She thought to herself for a while, Could that particular incident be the cause of these rumours? Possible. But for that simple glare to turn into a whole outrage. Really. Rumours are at its best.

Kise interrupted her thoughts, "Something's telling me that you remembered something Tomomicchi," he commented as he rubbed his chin.

Tomomi stiffened, _'Crap,'_ she thought to herself. Of all people, she wouldn't want Kise to know this. It was too embarrassing.

"So you did, did you?" Kise asked.

Tomomi averted her gaze, "I-I didn't."

". . ."

"I just remembered that I already ate my pudding at home! That's all! I swear!"

". . ."

Tomomi looked at Kise, who suddenly gave her the silent treatment. He has this "I'm not buying it" expression.

"U-um.. T-this is nerve-wracking.. Say something, Kise-kun.." Tomomi said, a cracked smile on her face.

Kise still silently stood there, his arms crossed. He was staring at Tomomi with a look of... Tomomi couldn't describe it but it was hot.

Tomomi blushed at her thoughts. She covered her face and started blabbering incoherent phrases.

Kise looked at her with a confused face, "...What?!"

"Some girls were saying bad things about Kise-kun! I got mad and glared at them! That's all that I did! I didn't go on a rampage!"

Kise paused for a second and processed Tomomi's words. As he understood what she meant, he broke into laughter. Tomomi pouted at this.

"Don't laugh!"

Kise sighed as he wiped his tears of laughter, "Thanks, Tomomicchi, your efforts are appreciated," he said with a huge grin still plastered on his face. He petted Tomomi's head, ruffling her hair in the process. Tomomi looked away, trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

Kise smiled fondly at her.

…Cute as ever.

* * *

A/N:

TBC.

Just so you know, all the italicized flashbacks are from Grain VIII, XVI, and XXIV.

Teehee. Hey guys, I'm wondering if I successfully established a shoujo-ish feel to this fic?

Anyways, your reviews are very much loved. Opinions, suggestions, questions and creative criticism are all welcome! Fuel my passion to write!

Thank you for reading! See you next chapter!


	26. Grain XXVI - Pierced

A/N:

I'll just leave this chapter here before our internet acts up again.

The idea of this chapter has been on my mind for a while now.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: KnB is not mine~

* * *

_**Grain XXVI - Pierced **_

"Urgh.."

Tomomi looked up at Kise who was examining his reflection in the mirror. He kept turning to look at himself at different angles, looking more and more disappointed with each turn. Eventually, it just got to the point where Tomomi couldn't focus on reading anymore. She took her hands off of the pages and looked at him, placing her chin in her hand.

"What's wrong Kise-kun?" Tomomi asked.

"...It's not right. Something about my image seems off and I've tried everything. I've got new accessories, new clothes - I can't think of anything else."

"So... You want to look cooler?"

"Well... Yeah."

"..How about you get your ears pierced?"

Kise stared at her, "What?"

Tomomi shrugged, "Get your ears pierced. It certainly makes a statement, right?"

"Yeah, but what if it looks stupid?"

"Take out the earrings and let the holes close."

Kise paused for a moment and Tomomi waited, "I don't even have earrings of my own."

Tomomi pointed to her bag, "I have two and a half pairs of earrings in there. I lost a clasp one day ago and I'm planning on returning it but you can have them if you want."

The blonde narrowed his eyes, "What kind are they?"

"They're silver. One set is simple studs and the other pair is the hoop kind."

"...I'll take them."

Tomomi grinned and stood up, "...Let's go and pierce your ears after school!"

"EH?!"

_**# # # # # # #**_

Much later, the both of them were sitting in a store in the mall that performed free ear piercing. To Tomomi's secret surprise, Kise looked terrified. He couldn't stop fidgeting in his chair and he was tapping his foot impatiently.

The employee who was doing the piercing was examining the hoop earrings Tomomi had given her, making sure they were clean and not infected. When she was done, she walked back to them both and began cleaning the "earring stapler" she uses to pierce the earrings in.

"So, how do you want to do this? One pair for now?"

"No, just one piece of it," Kise answered.

"...Alright. How do you want to set it up?"

"Pierce it like you would with normal earrings, you know, on the earlobes."

"Got it. Which ear?"

"Hm... On my left ear."

As the two were done talking, Tomomi turned away to go back to browsing, but a warm hand grabbed hers and Tomomi turned to see Kise looking at the ground sheepishly.

"Could you stay?" he asked.

Tomomi blinked, not sure what to make of the sudden giddy feeling in her stomach, "...Ok. If you want."

Tomomi moved back over to him, making sure she was out of the employee's way.

"I'm going to do it okay?"

Kise nodded and Tomomi felt him squeeze her hand as the employee pierced his ear. Moments later, after everything is finished, Kise released her hand.

"How does it look?" he asked, turning towards her.

Tomomi looked to take in his whole face and her eyes widened. She felt hot all of a sudden and her heart was beating a bit faster than usual.

He looked absolutely gorgeous.

Tomomi swallowed the mysterious lump in her throat and grinned, grabbing the mirror by the piercing stand and handing it to him.

"...Badass."

For some reason, the large, confident grin on Kise's face made Tomomi's day much brighter.

* * *

A/N:

TBC~

I'm very sure that Kise didn't have piercings when he was still in middle school and also, actually, I don't know what the earring that Kise wears is called. So I asked my brother what kind of earring is he wearing because my brother wears earrings the same way as Kise. At first I thought it was called clasp earrings but it seems that I was wrong. XD

So...? How was this chapter? Anywho, leave a review please!

Okay, how about I give you guys a little spoiler?

Starting from now, things will get serious and the tension will start to rise.

…And…

Updates are slower. XD


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